E-Paper
Gaming: industry overview
In 2006, the world's largest gaming company - Electronic Arts - rushed representatives to Delhi to scout for an office...Challenges faced | Quirky facts
In 2006, the world's largest gaming company - Electronic Arts - rushed representatives to Delhi to scout for an office.
They had just completed a survey on gaming markets around the world, and it had indicated that India's was growing at a remarkable rate. They decided they didn't want to miss the bus.
According to the latest National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) report, the gaming industry will grow tenfold - from $48 million in 2006 to $424 million by 2010.
There are currently 150 gaming companies in India, employing a total of about 2,500 people. But that number is expected to jump by 50 per cent in the next two years. The really good news: Qualifications don't matter half as much as passion. And there's always a demand for new people with fresh talent and ideas.
Increasing mobile and broadband penetration are also expected to raise the demand for local themes. "Games based on Indian themes will form an important market segment. It can be anything from Bollywood to cricket," said Ajay Khanna, India head for Electronic Arts.
Alok Kejriwal, founder of Games to Win, the year-old gaming arm of online lottery company Contests to Win, said: "With 50 per cent of the Indian population being below the age of 25, the gaming industry has to grow because our youth is tech-savvy and constantly looking for new forms of entertainment. It's a large, diverse industry that uses all media - television, computers and cellphones. The employment opportunities are huge. You can become anything from a content programmer to a scriptwriter or an illustrator."
